June 16, 2026, 8:07 p.mJune 16, 2026, 8:07 p.m
The number of potential organ donors in Norway has risen massively since Crown Princess Mette-Marit (52) was added to the waiting list for a lung transplant. This is reported by the Norwegian news agency NTB, citing the Organ Donation Foundation in the country.
Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit.Image: keystone
On June 5th, the palace in Oslo announced that Mette-Marit had been placed on the waiting list. Since then, according to the report, 12,000 people have registered as organ donors in the country. That is 180 times as many or almost 18,000 percent more than in the previous month.
Mette-Marit is terminally ill
The prerequisite for being placed on the waiting list is that a patient would only have about a year to live without a new lung. The Crown Princess suffers from the incurable disease pulmonary fibrosis, which scars the tissue of the organ and makes breathing difficult. Crown Prince Haakon’s wife (52) now uses an oxygen device in everyday life.
According to the Organ Donation Foundation, around 600 patients in Norway are currently waiting for a donor organ. According to lung specialist Are Holm, the waiting list for lung transplants is currently relatively short.
In Norway, the opt-out solution generally applies to organ donation, which means that a person who has died automatically becomes an organ donor if they did not expressly object during their lifetime. However, relatives are always included in the decision; they can refuse organ removal. (hkl/sda/dpa)